States have time to find Gonski funds: PM

Prime Minister Julia Gillard says the state premiers have six years to work out how to pay for their share of the Gonski schools funding reforms.

Victoria, though, says it's not sold on the proposed changes, calling them a "one-size-fits-all" approach that may leave some schools worse off.

The prime minister and state leaders will discuss the reforms and funding at the Council of Australian Governments meeting in April.

Ms Gillard told the Australian Education Union national conference in Melbourne on Friday the new schools funding model proposed by consultant David Gonski had been costed "in the order of $6.5 billion a year".

She said the sum represented less than 0.4 per cent of gross domestic product, or about a quarter of the amount spent on alcohol in the country every year.

"We can afford school reform," Ms Gillard said.

"I'm not asking the premiers to put money on the table today.

"The full school improvement plan will come into force gradually between 2014 and full completion in 2019."

The Victorian government says the plan poses "significant risk" to the improvements of its schools.

"Victoria is concerned that the commonwealth's proposed response to the Gonski report may not deliver better outcomes for Victorian students and may result in some schools being worse off," a state government spokesperson said in a statement.

Ms Gillard acknowledged most states were trimming their budgets, but said it was time to "share the leadership" on schools.

"I hope the premiers will rise to the challenge. Australia's children are counting on them," Ms Gillard said, adding that the federal government was committed to its share of funds for the school improvement plan.

"We will get this thing done."

The prime minister also took a shot at the Australian Greens, whose leader Christine Milne was expected later to tell the conference an expanded mining tax could cover the cost of the Gonski plan.

"Senator Milne will tell you today that it is all about the mining tax," Ms Gillard said.

"It isn't. It's all about your commitment to Australia's children.

"If this moment is missed - frittered away in petty politicking by the Greens party - then it will never come again."

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